More than two dozen artists spent the last month tweaking and writing their way to a better blog in the Blog Triage class I teach with Cynthia Morris.

Blog Triage Graduates

Here’s a look at our graduates’ blogs. Many of them focused on one area or another and have the knowledge and motivation to finish up on their own.

Isadora Arielle, Port Townsend, Washington

Sarah Atlee, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Amadea Bailey, Los Angeles, California

Stacey-Ann Cole, Peterborough, United Kingdom

Janice Earhart, Morrison, Colorado

Frances Clements Fawcett, Port Townsend, Washington
Frances’s site crashed in the middle of class! She’s rebuilding at her website, linked here.

Robin Fingher, Perth, Australia

Suzanne Gibbs, Tustin, California

Jaime Howard, Jacksonville, Florida

Julie Johnston, Packwood, Iowa

Karen LeGault, Oakland, California

Kevan Lunney, East Brunswick, New Jersey

Vickie Martin, Decatur, Georgia

Mary Ellen Merrigan, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Barbara Parish, Hesperia, California

MJ Russell, Charlotte, Vermont

Doris Sanders, Denver, Colorado

Lynda Schlosberg, Boston, Massachusetts

Linda Steele, Victoria, Australia

Janice Tanton, Canmore, AB, Canada

Fay Terry, Pinehurst, North Carolina

Jill Thoreson, Webster City, Iowa

Janet Vanderhoof, Morgan Hill, California

Sandra Verhoog, The Hague, Netherlands

Andrea Wedell, France

Kristina Wentzell, Keene, New Hampshire

Janine Whitling, Queensland, Australia

Amazon forever changed the way books are sold.

iTunes rocked the music world.

There is no doubt that art is sold through different avenues than it was 5 or 10 years ago.

Deep Thought Thursday

What do the art galleries of the future look like?

What do galleries need to do to stay relevant?

This Deep Thought Thursday was inspired by a question in the Artist Conspiracy from Mary Bentz Gilkerson. Thanks, Mary!

I read a lot of artist statements. “Read” is a generous word. Mostly, I endure them.

I know you know what I’m talking about.

©2011 Barbara Gilhooly, Plenty of Appeal. Acrylic on birch, 16 x 16 inches. Used with permission.

In my e-book The Relatively Pain-Free Artist Statement, I help you craft your statement through a journaling process. But once it’s written, you have to edit it.

Here are 5 things to look out for in the editing process.

1. Don’t say your art is unique.

“Unique” doesn’t mean anything and, odds are, your work isn’t. Almost all art is derivative of informed by other work and anyone who knows art history can point to an artist who did it first place your art in that context.

But your work does have qualities that make it yours rather than someone else’s. Instead of using the word “unique,” describe your work in a way that makes the reader think it’s unique.

2. Remove the things that every artist says.

I see these phrases in so many statements that they put me straight to sleep. Do NOT use these in any version in your statement.

• I am excited by . . .
• I’ve always been an artist
• I have to make art
• My work is about the human condition

And my favorite phrase to eliminate in a statement . . .

• I love . . .

3. Beware of redundancy.

Say it one way and move on. Don’t drag it out and duplicate the same meaning in a new sentence. Don’t make me be redundant by going any further with this warning.

4. Get rid of the lists.

One of the things I see in artist statements that makes me want to take a delete key to them is the overuse of adjectives. Lists of descriptors are a rampant virus in artist statements. Get rid of them!

If you have more than 2 commas in your statement, ask yourself what can be eliminated.

5. Reduce the number of personal pronouns.

You don’t need all of those I/me/my/mine/myself words in there. Really! I challenge you to get rid of most of them.

If you can clean up these 5 things, I promise you’ll have a more potent artist statement.

What trips you up about writing your artist statement?

Artist Nick Cave rocks my world!

I went to hear Cave speak last week at the Denver Art Museum and am fired up for his show here next summer. Make plans to visit Denver in the summer of 2013! I’ll put together an Art Biz Blog meetup for anyone who makes the trip.

I took two pages of notes during the dialogue. Watch this video about Cave and his Soundsuits and then read what got me so excited about him.

1. Live Your Art

Cave’s studio discipline is phenomenal. His studio manager testified that he works from 8 a.m. to midnight every day.

But Cave doesn’t think of it as work.

To him, there is no distinction between art and life. He said, “I can’t turn it off.”

Are you living your art?

2. Activate Your Art

This is related to the above.

Cave’s Soundsuits are activated when worn in performance, but that can’t always occur. So he tries to think of how they can exude energy when exhibited. He said he asks the question of his exhibits: “How do you keep the space active after the opening?”

I was intrigued by this idea further when I learned of his online SoundSuitShop.

What happens after your opening reception? Does the exhibit slowly fade? Or do you find ways to maintain the interest level?

3. Collaborate

Cave didn’t stand up at a podium and speak. Instead, he sat down in conversations with Sonnet Hanson, master teacher for modern & contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum, his studio manager, Cheryl Pope, and his publications designer, Bob Faust.

I’ve never before heard of an art rock star traveling with his designer. I’m going to have more to say about this in the future because the implications are astounding.

Cave also seeks a high degree of collaboration with community. He said his work brings people together who hadn’t been together before. He “highlights their potential.”  He seeks to bring out the best in them and what they can do together.

Incidentally, I value collaboration so highly that I’m introducing it as our focus in the Artist Conspiracy this July.

How do you collaborate?

4. Evolve

Cave said he has to grow with every project. Otherwise, he’s not interested.

What would it be like if every project you took on was a step forward? Even if it included a step back?

5. Prepare

Cave’s team spends approximately 70-80% of their time preparing material for his Soundsuits before putting them together!

This commitment to material is admirable and, at the same time, enviable.

Where in your art or business could you use more preparation?

6. Set The Bar High

Numerous times throughout the talk, Cave revealed how high his expectations are – of himself and of those around him.

Cave wants everyone around him to excel and to be the best at what they do. In turn, he wants to help bring out their gifts.

Are your expectations high enough?

Time to catch up on those tweets of mine you might have missed.

Come across dumb questions on art show apps? I’m collecting them on my FB page: ow.ly/aKjp7

Blog Triage student just wrote: THIS IS THE BEST MONEY I HAVE EVER SPENT. Cool!

Don’t make the same mistake so many artists make. Hint: follow up. artbizblog.com/followup

Top non-internet art-marketing articles on Pinterest ow.ly/aSNns

1 of the more impressive artist blogs on Blogger that I’ve seen twocoatsofpaint.com Can’t tell it’s Blogger!

Yes, post your prices on your website (unless you sell exclusively through galleries)

Once is never enough in marketing artbizblog.com/never-enough

One of the best-looking @Fasobuzz sites. kathleendunphy.com Nice!

In @AGoodHusband survey 32% of artists’ income <10% fr art in 2011, yet 27% expect it to be >90% in 2012 ow.ly/aWX3B Delusion?

Art Licensing

Advice from an art licensing agent for walking a trade show goo.gl/kULnS via @ArtistTaraReed

RT @mariabrophy: no-bull posts to help artists learn the biz of licensing art. fb.me/1uIbyelFx

Fun!

It might be the best wedding announcement photo ever. Think Grant Wood, American Gothic. ow.ly/aZral

Inspiration & Motivation

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself marcandangel.com/2011/12/11/30-… via @marcandangel

RT @dave_carpenter Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do. – Benjamin Franklin (via exec coach @EdDeCosta)

rt @chrisgarrett Pro tip: Complaining about work is a career-limiting move. If I can read it, so can they.

Social Media

Love @PublicityHound use of Pinterest board to teach. 14 ways to get free publicity ow.ly/aMfh0

Proof That Pinterest Drives Sales, And Its Fans Spend Big zite.to/JT5QLX via @Zite

FB page timeline info (pic sizes, etc) in this helpful UPDATED @copyblogger post ow.ly/aVngx Things have changed-again!

FB no longer penalizes 3rd party apps #10FBTIPS @MariSmith

Change your FB cover image regularly #10FBTIPS @MariSmith

Respond to comments on FB sooner – Most lucrative of #10fbtips

Giveaway

I’m giving away a copy of @chrisguillebeau #100startup book. Take a look artbizblog.com/over-planning

Allan Harding MacKay is a Canadian “war artist” who is destroying his art to protest treatment of veterans and aboriginals.

The Casoria Contemporary Art Museum in Naples, Italy is burning art to protest a shortage of funds during times of austerity.

Deep Thought Thursday

How do you feel about destroying art as protest?

How does destroying art change its meaning?

Is destroying art an effective form of protest?

If you are a regular reader, you probably think that I’m a big planner and that I have my whole life and business mapped out for me.

Not so.

I love planning! But like many creative entrepreneurs, I find planning can be confining.

At a workshop 4 years ago. Maybe the strange look on my face was one of concern because the artist was over-planning?? Photo by Kimberly Lennox.

A Time for Planning

Planning has its place in any business.

I believe in strategizing an income plan. I believe in planning my months, weeks, and days based on my income plan and big-picture ideas.

But there is no such thing as a fool-proof plan. I believe in planning a little and then taking a lot of action.

The As-Soon-As Plan

I’ve seen many of my students and clients paralyzed because they are looking for The Perfect Plan. What they end up with is an “As-Soon-As Plan,” which sounds like this:

• As soon as I find the right business plan to follow, everything will fall into place.
• As soon as I take this class, I’ll know what to do.
• As soon as my kids are old enough, I’ll have more time to work on my art.
• As soon as I add this new section to my plan, I can get started.

If they just tweak this or that, then they can start taking action.

This is just delaying. It’s excuse-making, not planning or acting.

The One-Page Business Plan

One of my favorite chapter’s in Chris Guillebeau’s The $100 Startup is “The One-Page Business Plan.” In it, Chris says:

There’s nothing wrong with planning, but you can spend a lifetime making a plan that never turns into action. In the battle between planning and action, action wins.

I agree with the action bias, but you have to take action, not just think about it. You have to act consistently and with purpose if you want to turn your art into a successful business.

You must have regular studio hours. You must market your art consistently. You must evaluate lack of sales. You must network and meet new people.

Stop over-planning and start taking action. Over-planning is killing your art business.

Free Book and Feature to the Best Artist Business Plan

I’ll give away a copy of The $100 Startup (free shipping USPS to anywhere in the world) to what I think is the best artist business plan left in a comment on this post no later than midnight ET on Friday, May 25. Here are the rules:

• Your plan must be 200 words or less.
• You must use your real name.
• Your plan could be for a specific period (e.g. the next 6-12 months) or for a special project such as an exhibition.
• Your plan should include these six areas: 1) your art or product, 2) audience, 3) promotions, 4) money, 5) how you will overcome challenges or obstacles, and 6) how you will know if you’ve succeeded.
• For a framework, you can (but aren’t required to) use Chris’s One-Page Business Plan as featured here.
• This is not a democratic process. My selection is the final word.

Notice the plan must be under 200 words. This is intentional because I don’t want you to over-plan.

The winner will also be featured in a blog post along with his or her plan. What have you got to lose? Even if you don’t win the book, you’ll have a plan in place.

Give us your thoughts about planning, and share your 200-word business plan in a comment below.

Lindsey Harnish of the Ferndale Public Library in Michigan inquires:

I just won a grant for my library, specifically to purchase art business books. While I’ve got a long list of titles on my wish list, are there particular books that you strongly recommend?

Well, Lindsey, since you used the word strongly, I pored over my titles and came up with this curated list for you.

Career Guidance

Jackie Battenfield, The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love

Battenfield’s book is quickly becoming the standard for artist career development. It’s especially good for artists on the gallery track.

Heather Darcy Bhandari & Jonathan Belber, Art/Work: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career

Another good book for artists seeking galleries.

Both of these books have a strong New York bent.

Daniel Grant, The Business of Being an Artist
Pretty much everything Grant writes is worth reading. I’m embarrassed to say that my edition of this book is from 2000. The 2010 edition (the most recent) adds 100 pages to my version.

Grant has also written Selling Art Without Galleries and How to Grow as an Artist.

Media Specific

Barney Davey, How to Profit from the Art Print Market

Davey knows the giclée market! This is the go-to book for artists who think prints are in their future.

Lynn Basa, The Artist’s Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions

Any artist interested in dipping their toes into the public art arena must have this book. Public art commissions are a whole different world than galleries and selling directly to collectors.

Legal

Tad Crawford, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist

This book should be on the shelf of every artist. When you need a legal answer, just look it up! We’ve gotten terribly lazy and expect people online to answer stuff for us. Get the book. Trust me. You need it.

Etc.

Alyson B. Stanfield, I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion

My book isn’t a career guide, but focuses instead on self-promotion. And I don’t mind saying that I still think it’s good – especially if you want to promote directly to collectors and attract attention for your art.

David Bayles & Ted Orland, Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

While this book is more about mindset than about business, it’s a must-read. After all, you can’t build an art business if your mind isn’t in the right place.

Gigi Rosenberg, The Artist’s Guide to Grant Writing

Rosenberg’s book isn’t just helpful advice for writing grants. It’s also warm and personal. I read this book cover to cover and enjoyed every moment. Comb through the sections before you send that application in.

And

While neither of these books was specifically written as an artist business book, they will help anyone understand the art market economy:

1. Sarah Thornton, Seven Days in the Artworld
2. Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark

If you’d like to know what the life of a private dealer is like (and get some inside gossip), try:

1. Richard Polsky, I Bought Andy Warhol
2. Richard Polsky, I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon)

I know there are many more out there.

What would you recommend to Lindsey and why?

If you want to sell your art, show your prices.

Back in 2006, I wrote a post about when to post your prices.

Times have changed and I want to make sure that you have my current view on this topic.

If You’re Looking for Galleries

Installation at Ice Cube Gallery in Denver featuring work by Jane Guthridge. Artwork ©Jane Guthridge.

Many people will tell you not to post your prices if you’re looking for galleries to represent your art. Their reasoning is that galleries won’t want to see you trying to sell your work on your own.

I believe this is old thinking.

A good gallery shouldn’t fear artists trying to sell their work. On the contrary, they should be thrilled that artists are doing everything they can to drive sales.

In an interview for the Artist Conspiracy, a prominent Santa Fe gallerist told me  in no uncertain terms that she WANTS to see prices on a site. She says that without prices, she doesn’t know if the artists would be a good fit for her space. If there are no prices, she’s forced to take the extra step of contacting the artist. This is too much trouble!

If you are represented by galleries already, make your galleries happy by posting the phrase “Available through X gallery” underneath corresponding images. Ask your gallery whether or not they want you to post the prices along with that phrase.

Websites, Blogs, and Social Media Sites

YES! Post your prices if you’re trying to sell your art.

Some artists say that withholding prices encourages serious lookers to contact them. They think they have a better shot at a sale if they can talk to the interested party.

I believe not posting prices sends the message that either the work isn’t for sale or it’s too expensive.

Exhibitions, Open Studios, Art Fairs & Festivals

Again, yes! Post your prices if you’re trying to sell your art.

Don’t force people to ask. They usually won’t.

Make it easy for people to say, “Yes! I want it!”

In the creation of any work of art, there is some point, no matter how much training and experience is brought to bear on the work at hand, when the artist is taken with a feeling of both exhilaration and terror, the Oh shit. What the hell have I gotten myself into! moment of flailing panic, akin to the feeling of falling from a great height.

from the book Sacré Bleu by Christopher Moore

Deep Thought Thursday

In your art-making or art business, what makes you ask, “Oh shit. What the hell have I gotten myself into”?